Course 1: Foundations of Occupational Safety, Health and Hygiene

• Internet resources for occupational healthHazard identification, risk assessment and principles of risk control

• Exposure hazards: effects and control of chemical, biological, physical exposures

• Toxicology: pathways and metabolism, threshold limit values and MSDSs

• Occupational and exposure history, risk factors and causes of work-related diseases

• Ergonomic workplace design, workload and musculoskeletal diseases

• Psychosocial factors and work organization

The first course in the Global Program series introduces a set of skills to prevent or control occupational illness and injury. Foundations applies a framework that entails hazard/risk identification and

characterization, qualitative risk assessment, control strategies development, and risk communication.

Students will read a series of documents, watch videos and slideshows, and will be led through a series of activities that will promote recognition, assessment control and management of hazards and risks. This 10-week course is divided into five (5) 2-week modules that emphasize different aspects of the process.

Module 1 - Introduction to Occupational Health Resources
1. Develop a classroom community of occupational health practitioners from various disciplines.

2. Use resources that provide information about workplace health and safety that you can apply to your workplace. Characterize and discuss ethical and professional challenges in occupational health practice.

Module 2 - Workplace Exposure and Toxicology

1. Define concepts and terminology in the fields of toxicology and occupational health/hygiene

2. Evaluate tools for communicating chemical risks in the workplace.

Module 3 - Occupational Illness and Injury

1. Describe the components of an occupational history

2. Use a model that associates occupational hazards and health outcomes to guide preventive measures

Module 4 - Hazards, Risk Assessment, and Risk Management

1. Describe methods for risk reduction and control for chemical, physical and biological hazards.

2. Conduct a risk assessment of hazards and

health effects of workplace agents and prioritize hazards.

3. Demonstrate risk management techniques through the use of practical assessment tools, interpret their findings and develop practical solutions.

Module 5 - Ergonomics Essentials

1. Describe human factors at work, interpret observations, advise employees and management and develop solutions for risk reduction of ergonomic risk factors

2. Demonstrate the use of exposure assessment tools for ergonomic hazards, apply principles of ergonomic design to control exposure, and discuss the importance of risk communication for implementing controls in the workplace.